Sainsbury’s breech planning application

Supermarket chain Sainsbury’s have today been issued a notice suspending work on the Sainsbury’s express store on the old Golden Key Public House site following complaints about the noise and working times of its contractors.

Complaints from local residents have been made to local councillor Sandra Gage about the levels of noise and the times of working since building work started in July on the junction of Woodbridge Road and Cauldwell Hall Road. The terms of the planning consent were set and agreed by Sainsbury’s limiting work between the hours of 7.30 and 18.00 on weekdays, 09.00 and 14.00 on Saturdays and no work on Sundays and Bank holidays, but these obligations have repeatedly been ignored. Complaints have also been received about the work undertaken over the bank holiday weekend which caused major disruption to local residents.

Cllr Sandra Gage, member for Rushmere and opposition spokesperson for Roads and Transport, said “Sainsbury’s contractors have continually ignored the restrictions placed on them in the planning application setting the working hours. They have had no regard for the lives of the people in the surrounding area. This action is absolutely unacceptable and we are pressing Sainsbury’s to work within the guidelines set out in the planning permission documentation. As the local councillor I have raised this issue over the last fortnight with Ipswich Borough Council, resulting in the notice being issued today’.

‘When this site was first proposed as an Express store, Labour councillors sought local views and presented these at Ipswich Borough Council Planning and Development Committee. Twice the proposal was turned down on traffic grounds. Local residents made it clear they did not want this proposal. Overturned by the Governments Inspector last year, works at the site this summer have caused considerable disturbance and annoyance. It seems Sainsbury’s have no regard for the local community.’

The notice call means that if Sainsbury’s do not work to the planning conditions imposed when planning permission was granted they could be face fines.